Marlboro Tour Philippines: FINAL STAGE 5-04-97
J Cruz
The Manila Times <http://www.portalinc.com/manilatimes/>
Tour ng Pilipinas <http://www.vasia.com/wildfire/index.htm>
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info, visit the Tour ng Pilipinas site above. thanks and Mabuhay!!!
May 5, 1997
Marlboro Tour '97
*********Hongkong ace completes humbling of Philippine riders ****
By Frederick Nasiad
Contributing Editor
Final Standings
1. Wong, Kam Po,
Hongkong, 62:06:28
2. Espiritu, Victor,
Philippines, 1:19 behind;
3. Valdez, Placido,
Nueva Ecija, 3:43 behind;
4. Guieb, Carlo
Northern Luzon, 5:24 behind;
5. Susanto, Tonton,
Indonesia, 8:35 behind;
6. Jun, Dae Hong,
Korea, 10:23 behind;
7. Dolosa, Renato,
Southern Luzon, 10:55 behind;
8. Ji, Sung Hwang,
Korea, 11:17 behind;
9. Querimit, Arnel,
Phil, 18:36 behind;
10. Celeste, Felix,
Pangasinan, 23:26 behind.
LUNETA--Crown Colony spitfire Wong Kam Po yesterday dethroned Victor
Espiritu as king of the annual Marlboro Tour.
Wong posted a one-minute, 19-second victory over Espiritu whom he
tightly guarded throughout yesterday's 80-km., 20-lap criterium that put
an end to the summer saga on wheels which had foreigners competing for
the first time this year.
Espiritu, a 21-year-old duty sergeant, repeatedly attempted to pull
away from the main pack but Wong stayed on with him. After 12 rounds and
Wong ahead by seven bicycles, the Filipino gave up on his bid and stayed
in the middle of the peloton.
Ji Jung-hwang of Korea yesterday become the winningest stage rider
in the Tour's 42-year history after ruling the Luneta criterium, his
seventh, excluding the individual time trial prologue in Cagayan de Oro
City.
The Moring brothers, Jose (1961) and Manolito (1980), previously
held the Tour record for most number of laps won with six apiece.
Wong will take home with him the equivalent of the P500,000, prize
money, an elegant trophy and a brand new Nissan car.
Espiritu, the Tour's King of the Mountain, became P300,000 richer
for finishing second while Placido Valdez of Nueva Ecija, who placed
third anew, won P200,000.
"This is the biggest win of my career," said Wong, here under the
auspices of the Hongkong Sports Institute. "But I will keep on training
and become a better athlete."
Wong, who receives allowances from the Hongkong Sports Association,
said he will keep his winning and use it when he retires from cycling.
The 24-year-old Atlanta Olympic veteran likewise promised to be back
next year to defend his crown.
"The Marlboro Tour is very challenging--the heat, the distance. I'll
consider this win as very important in my career," said Wong, who
regularly trained for at least 200 kilometers at the south border of
China for endurance and at the mountains of Hongkong for climbing
prowess.
"I have to keep on training because of races like the Tour of China
and Tour of Taiwan and others like the Marlboro Tour," he said.
The South Korean team bagged the international team crown and the
P500,000 cash prize over last year's champion RP Team with a winning
margin of 22 minutes and seven seconds.
Enrique Domingo of the Philippine Team took the Adidas Sprints title
after sweeping all five sprint primes in yesterday's finale.
The multi-state winner Ji ruled the points classification category
edging Wong by a whopping 24 points.
In the regional team race, Northern Luzon bested multi-Tour titlist
Pangasinan behind the heroics of team captain Carlo Guieb who donned
the yellow jersey for three days this year.